An Other Worlders (5)

(Vallen POV)

Earlier...

As soon as I arrived at the school, I immediately noticed Alicia standing in front of the gate. From the looks of it, she appeared to be nervous. It was probably because, after this year, she would officially become a Guardian.

Upon graduation, each student had the option to choose a profession. For civilians, the options ranged from entrepreneurship and accounting to science, police work, politics, and various other common occupations.

However, for students like us who attended a Magic School, there were six special job categories to choose from. These options included Guardians, Magic Police, Mages, Mercenaries, Hunters, and Wanderers.

Guardians were often likened to modern-day heroes. They were ranked by number, with the number one spot occupied by a Guardian known as Felix. This number was both a codename and an indication of their mastery of Sky and Lightning magic.

Magic Police were essentially law enforcement officers who wielded magic.

Mages acted as researchers, similar to scientists, focusing on the discovery of new elements and the development of magic patterns, particularly for those without natural magical talent.

Mercenaries were self-explanatory; they were hired for various tasks, such as protection or even assassination, often by wealthy individuals.

Hunters pursued individuals with bounties on their heads, thus earning their title.

As for Wanderers, their role was rather flexible, allowing them to roam the world, engaging in a wide range of activities, both private and public.

While I silently observed Alicia standing by the gate, a specific thought crossed my mind. It was a fleeting consideration: should I approach her? But almost immediately, I dismissed the idea. After all, I vividly remembered the dream where I tried to get her attention and ended up getting slapped. I didn't particularly relish the idea of having a real-life repeat of that encounter.

Now, as I thought about it, I questioned why I was so keen on seeking her attention in the first place. What drove me to take such risks?

Upon reflection, I realized that it probably had to do with her past behavior. Back then, she used to cry about what had happened to me. It was rather annoying, so I decided to make a fake confession, hoping she'd be embarrassed enough to stop. But that plan backfired big time.

To my surprise, she had accepted my confession, likely because she didn't fully grasp what it meant at the time. As a result, we suddenly became betrothed, with the promise of marrying when we turned eighteen.

Years later, as we reached an age where reality began to sink in, she finally understood her mistake. Guardians were public figures, and it was advisable for them to remain single to avoid negative public scrutiny. She tried to convince her parents to annul our engagement, but they refused.

There was also an option to keep our betrothal a secret, but our parents and my dim-witted legal guardian foolishly decided to announce it to the world.

While I was perfectly fine with dissolving the engagement, the forceful actions of our parents left us little choice. Instead of directing her anger at them, Alicia seemed to have shifted her frustration toward me. The entire mess had started due to my ill-conceived actions.

I made sincere efforts to apologize, but she continued to avoid me. I had even experienced the strange dream where I was slapped for merely approaching her.

...Yes, in the end, it all seemed to be my fault.

Shaking these thoughts from my head and adjusting my glasses, I continued walking past Alicia. I kept my head down and avoided any eye contact, all in an effort to prevent her from noticing me. I had spotted her looking in my direction, but I remained passive and determined not to attract her attention. It seemed like the safest course of action.

"It's because of you that we got trapped in this world."

"Teehee!"

I heard some students saying things with weird topic. I did ignored them, though... I guess many transferee this year seems weird.

A few moments later, I managed to extricate myself from that awkward situation with Alicia and decided to head towards an area I frequented last year.

While I strolled along silently, my attention was drawn to a girl in the distance who seemed strangely familiar. Artoria... was that her name? I pondered, my gaze following her as she moved past me. Her hair danced gently in the breeze.

Before I could call out to her, a sudden collision interrupted my thoughts. Someone had bumped into my shoulder, causing the items they were holding to tumble to the ground. I instinctively crouched down to assist in picking up their fallen belongings.

While I did this, I couldn't help but sense an unusual gaze coming from behind me. However, I pushed it to the back of my mind and concentrated on helping the girl in front of me.

Her skin was pale as alabaster, and her eyes were a striking shade of clear purple. She wore a white uniform, indicating she was a junior, with a long-sleeved top. She wasn't particularly tall, perhaps around 5'6", and I estimated her age to be around sixteen or seventeen. I've met people who were much shorter but significantly older, so height wasn't always a reliable indicator.

I noticed that she had a black headband, and a white flower adorned the side of her head as an ornate design. Her style was remarkably cute.

"Sorry," she offered a quick apology and gave a small, polite bow before resuming her onward march as if nothing had happened.

"Who is she? A transfer student, perhaps?" I wondered.

Despite her unfamiliarity, I couldn't shake the feeling that she bore a striking resemblance to the girl in my earlier dream – the same girl who had lost in my science experiment.

...I don't know her name, though.

With that, I resumed walking with my hands tucked inside my pockets.

***

Ah... Why do I have to get to seat next to her?

I surreptitiously cast a quick glance to my left, only to find Alicia completely absorbed in her attention to the stage. She seemed to have noticed my glance, quickly shifting her gaze in my direction.

Ah, damn it! This is hard... I immediately shifted my focus to the stage, trying to act as composed as possible. I could feel the sweat forming on my back, and my expression becoming increasingly stiff as I felt her eyes on me.

Thankfully, the principal's voice cut through the tension as she spoke up, "I would like to introduce you all to my disciple and the future successor, Artoria Veinswort. A prodigy in swordsmanship."

With that announcement, all attention returned to the stage as the student named Artoria stepped into the spotlight to deliver her speech. I couldn't help but wonder what she would say next.

"Fellow students... I hereby proclaim myself as the Future's Strongest."

Ah... An opening for the main character, huh...

...

..

.

As soon as the speech concluded, I rushed over to check the class assignments posted on the bulletin board. After finding my name, my attention shifted briefly to the name just above mine. I stood there, my mouth slightly agape in disbelief.

What were the odds? Was this some bizarre twist of fate, or perhaps a cruel punishment for my past actions? Alicia was in the same class as me!

Once I snapped out of my daze, I headed straight to my assigned classroom, maneuvering through the bustling students. I bumped into someone on the way, but I paid no mind, my thoughts consumed by the unexpected situation.

"Alright, everyone, please take your seats according to your assignments," the professor announced, finally putting an end to my turbulent thoughts.

She introduced herself as Cossette Vol Arshiel, our homeroom professor. I decided to focus on her words, my curiosity piqued. But just as she was about to continue her introduction...

"Vallen!?"

The call for my attention was sharp and unexpected... How should I respond to this call?